Display assembly for furniture and home furnishings



J. G. DORAN 3,491,195

DISPLAY ASSEMBLY FOR FURNITURE AND HOME FURNISHINGS Jan. 20, 197-0 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 30. 1967 FIG. 3

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DISPLAY ASSEMBLY FOR FURNITURE AND HOME FURNISHINGS Filed Jan. 30, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN G. DORAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent O F US. CI. 3553 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A display assembly having a plurality of substantially vertical walls extending angularly from an enclosure about a column to provide a plurality of outwardly facing corners about the column periphery, each corner being adapted to display furniture and home furnishings. The walls can be rotated around the column to arrange the corners at different selected positions. Luminaries are located relative to. the wall arrangement of each display assembly so that each corner will be suitably illuminated when disposed in such selected positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to improvements in a display assembly, and more particularly to an improved assembly for displaying furniture and home furnishings most advantageously along and on intersecting room walls as provided in the assembly.

In many display or sales rooms, there are a plurality of spaced columns extending between the floor and ceiling which are unattractive, take up valuable floor space, and obstruct the view. Display cases, stands and racks have been placed next to such columns, and in some instances, articles have been attached directly to such columns for display. However, these procedures have not avoided the objectionable features of the columns mentioned previously.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The display assembly utilizes the columns as a component part, and thereby effectively uses the floor space occupied by the columns and eliminates the otherwise unattractive column appearance. Because the column is utilized as a part of the display assembly, it does not obstruct any view of the display assembly or of any merchandise associated with the display assembly.

A plurality of substantially vertical walls in the display assembly are angularly related to form an enclosure about the associated column and to provide a plurality of outwardly facing corners about the enclosure periphery. Suitable rotative means mount the enclosure to the column so that the walls can be turned as a unit about the column to dilferent selected positions in order to display the furniture and home furnishings in the most desirable manner.

A plurality of luminaries are arranged in substantially, regularly spaced relation about the enclosure periphery so that at least one luminary is located between each adjacent pair of angularly related walls to illuminate the associated corner when the walls are turned to difierent predetermined positions between the luminaries.

Each wall of the display assembly includes a peripheral frame adapted to receive and hold a panel on each side of the wall. Each wall panel can be decorated to display most effectively such items as wall paper, paneling, wall hangings such as pictures and plaques and curtains to mention a few, and to provide suitable backgrounds for different styles and periods of furniture. In addition, the frames are adapted to receive such items as screens and room dividers.

The display assemblies can be used in a display system 3,491,195 Patented Jan. 20, 1970 in which a display assembly is associated with each of a pair of adjacent, spaced columns, the display assemblies being angularly related to each other to provide a space therebetween of a width to enable passage of one viewing either or both of the display assemblies, and to facilitate viewing of all corners of either one or both of the display assemblies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display system showing a pair of display assemblies associated with a pair of spaced columns extending between the floor and ceiling of a room;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view as seen along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the display assembly with portions of the ceiling and floor shown in cross section and with the wall board of the display walls broken away to show the frame construction;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, cross sectional view as seen along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the frame, similar to FIG. 4, but showing a modified construction;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified mounting means adapting the' display assembly for a square column;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the display assembly illustrating the means for rotatively mounting the walls and for supporting the walls off of the floor;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view as seen along line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of one wall corner with the component parts exploded for clarity;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bottom portion of the wall frame to illustrate the connection of divider slats, and

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view of the display system as represented by adjacent display assemblies on adjacent, spaced columns.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now by characters of reference to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1, it will be understood that the display assemblies generally indicated by 10 are useful to show furniture and home furnishings in a display room or sales room having a ceiling 11, a floor 12 and a plurality of spaced columns referred to by 13 extending between the ceiling 11 and the floor 12. Each of the display assemblies 10 is associated with one of a pair of spaced, adjacent columns 13, for the purpose of illustration.

Each of the display assemblies 13 includes a plurality of substantially vertical walls 14, each wall 14 having one end 15 located adjacent to and intermediate the ends 15 and 16 of an adjacent wall 14, and extending angularly outward from the said adjacent wall 14. In the specific embodiment, the adjacent pairs of walls 14 are located in right angular relation. From FIG. 2, it will be apparent that the first wall portions 17 between the wall ends 15 form an enclosure generally referred by 20 about the associated column 13. Each wall 14 and the second wall portion 21 of each adjacent wall 14, extending outwardly beyond said each wall 14, provides an outwardly facing corner.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the means rotatively mounting the enclosure 20 to the column 13 of circular cross section includes a pair of vertically spaced partitions 22 secured to the first wall portions 17 at the joints provided by the wall ends 15. The partitions 22 surround, yet are spaced from, the column 13. To facilitate placement of the partitions 22, each partition 22 is constructed of matching half-sections. Carried by each of 3 the partitions 22 are a plurality of rolls 23, a total of four in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, which are spaced about and engage the periphery of circular column 13. With this rotative mounting means, the walls 14 can be turned to any desired position about the column 13 so as to present the outwardly facing comers, formed by adjacent pairs of walls 14, at predetermined locations. During this turning movement of the wall 14, the rollers 23 will engage the periphery of column 13.

As the walls 14 are turned, as described previously, to locate the corners at the selected positions, the bottoms 24 (FIG. I) will frictionally engage the floor 12, assuming that the floor 12 is substantially level, whereby the frictional engagement of the wall bottoms 24 and floor 12 constitute a retaining means acting to hold the walls in the preselected, turned positions.

In the event that the floor 12 is uneven or is not sufficiently level to permit the previously described frictional engagement between the wall bottoms 24 and the floor 12, a suitable level platform 25 is mounted on the floor 12 immediately below the enclosure and about the column 13, as is shown in FIG. 3. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, it will be understood that the wall bottoms 24 frictionally engage the top surface of the level platform 25 as the walls 14 are turned about the columns 13 to place the corners in the selected positions. This frictional engagement between the wall bottoms 24 and the level platform 25 constitutes the retaining means acting to hold the walls 14 in the adjusted, selected positions. The level platform 25 keeps the wall bottoms 24 up off of the subjacent uneven fioor 12.

The display assembly can be advantageously utilized with columns having a cross section that is other than circular. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the display assembly 10 can be incorporated with a column 13a having a substantially square cross section. It will be apparent that the columns can have any cross section with multiple corners, and be adapted for use in the manner now described. Under these circumstances, the rotative means includes a plurality of rollers 23a carried by brackets 26 fixed to the corners of the column 13a, the rollers 23a defining a circular circumference about the periphery of the column 13a. These rollers 23a engage a circular track 27 provided by the associated partition 22a, that is carried by and fixed to the enclosure 20 in the manner described with respect to the partitions 22 in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3.

Instead of supporting the assembly walls 14 on the floor 12 or on a suitable level platform 25, it is desirable under some circumstances to support the walls 14 directly on the column 13 and thereby hold the walls 14 off of the floor 12. In this event, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each of the partitions 22 carries a plurality of rollers 23 in regularly spaced relation about the periphery of the column 13, the rollers 23 engaging the column periphery to facilitate turning of the assembly walls 14 about the column 13. Moreover, cooperatively associated with each of the partitions 22 are a plurality of support rollers 30 carried by brackets 31 fixed to the column 13 in regularly spaced relation about the column periphery. The support rollers 30 engage the underside of the associated partition 22 to support the assembly walls 14 on the column 13. In addition to supporting the assembly walls 14 on the column 13, the support rollers 30 cooperate with the columnengaging rollers 23 to facilitate turning of the walls 14 about the column 13.

After the assembly walls 14 have been turned to a selected position, the walls 14 are fixed in such adjusted position by driving a pair of wedges 32 between the column 13 and the uppermost partition 22. Of course, the wedges 32 can be knocked free or otherwise withdrawn to enable the assembly walls 14 to be easily turned to another adjusted, preselected position, and then replaced to hold he assem y alls 14 n s ch e st d p tiQn.

Each of the walls 14 includes a peripheral frame 33 best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The frame 33 is of a substantially T-shaped section, as best shown in FIG. 4, having a cross piece 34 and a middle piece 35 attached to the cross piece 34 and spaced inwardly from the side to provide shoulders 36. The construction of the peripheral frame 33 enables the attachment of wall panels 37 on each side of the wall 14. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, each of the wall panels 37 is placed against the middle piece 35 with its edges closely adjacent to or contiguous with the frame shoulder 36.

Under some circumstances, it is desirable to place a wall panel 40 intermediate the peripheral frames 33, and in such instance, the wall panel 40 is located in a compatible groove 41 formed in theinner face of the middle piece 35. The outer face of the cross piece 34 can be provided with a groove 42 adapted to receive fancy, ornamental edging 43.

A slightly different cross sectional shape can be utilized for the peripheral frame 33 as is suggested in FIG. 5. The major difference resides in the arrangement in which the shoulders 36 are slightly recessed in the cross piece 34 so as to lap and retain the edges of the wall panels 37 at opposite sides of the frame 33.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate various uses of the peripheral frame 33 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 9 shows the application of the wall panel 37 to one side of the frame 33, and suggests the application of the fancy edging 43 in the external groove 42. FIG. 10 illustrates the use of slats 44 located in the groove 41 of the middle piece 35 which may form a screen or room divider.

Each of the display assemblies 10 incorporates a unique arrangement of luminaries for lighting to the best advantage each of the corners provided by adjacent pairs of walls 14 in predetermined, selected positions. The luminaries include a plurality of spotlights 45 and floodlights 46 arranged alternately in substantially angularly spaced relation along a circumference spaced from the column 13. With this arrangement, each corner is illuminated by the floodlight 46, while a particular piece of furniture or home furnishing displayed in such corner is accented by illumination by the spotlight 45 associated with the floodlight 46 for that corner. When the walls 14 are turned to different predetermined positions between the spotlights 45 and floodlights 46 there is a cooperating pair of spotlights 45 and floodlights 46 located between each adjacent pair of angularly related walls to illuminate the associated corners. This advantageous feature is suggested by the diagrammatic view of FIG. 11 which shows the assembly walls 14 turned to different positions between the luminaries.

It is thought that the functional advantages have become fully apparent from the foregoing detailed description of parts, but for completeness of disclosure, the usage of the display assemblies will be briefly described. It will be assumed that the assembly walls 14 are mounted to and about the column 13 by suitable rollers 23 and are supported by the adjacent floor 12 as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each wall 14 may incorporate wall panels, paneling, chair rails, screens, room divider slats, and may be constructed to represent apertures such as windows and doors. Various types of wall hangings such as pictures and the like may be fastened to the walls 14. After the walls 14 of each display assembly 10 have been turned to their appropriate, desired locations, furniture and other home furnishings can be located in the corners provided by adjacent pairs of walls 14. Because the bottoms 24 of the walls 14 frictionally engage the floor 12, the walls 14 will be retained in the selected positions.

If for any reason, it is not desired to support the walls 14 of the display assembly 10 on the floor 12, as for example, when the floor 12 is not level or uneven, the interconnected walls 14 of each display assembly 10 are supported on a levelling platform 25 as shown in FIG. 3. T e bottoms 24 of he Walls 14 will frictionally em gage the top surface of the levelling platform and will retain the walls 14 in the adjusted, selected position.

Moreover, under still other conditions, it is desirable to support the interconnected walls 14 of each display assembly 10 on the associated column 13 and to remove any frictional engagement from either a floor 12 or levelling platform 25. Under these circumstances, the interconnected walls 14 are supported by the support rollers engaging the undersides of the partitions 22. Wedges 32 can be selectively inserted between the column 13 and the upper most partition 22 to retain the interconnected walls 14 in the adjusted, selected position.

Of course, the interconnected walls 14 of each display assembly 10 can be adapted to cooperate with a column 13 of circular cross section as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, or can be adapted to cooperate with a column 13a having a non-circular cross section as suggested in FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the advantageous results realized in a display system utilizing two or more display assemblies 10 mounted on spaced, adjacent columns 13. The left hand display assembly 10 in FIG. 11 shows the display assembly 10 turned so that the interconnected walls 14 are disposed between adjacent luminaries 45 and 46, and with the corners, formed by adjacent pairs of walls 14, disposed in certain outwardly facing angular relation. The right hand display assembly 10 is turned relative to the left hand display assembly 10 approximately 45 degrees so that the walls 14 are disposed between the next adjacent pairs of luminaries 45 and 46, and so that the corners of adjacent pairs of walls 14 are disposed at different angular rela' tions.

By arranging the walls of adjacent display assemblies 10 in different angular relations, the width between such display assemblies 10 can be varied, if necessary, to provide sufficient space for persons to pass therebetween in order to view the displays in either or both of the display assemblies 10.

In addition, it will be noted that even though display assemblies 10 are arranged in different angular relations, each corner is illuminated by a pair of luminaries.

It will be understood that the adjacent columns 13 are incorporated as a component part of the display assemblies 10, and therefore cannot obstruct any view as to the associated display assemblies 10, enables the utilization of the floor space occupied by the columns 13, and eliminates what would otherwise be an unattractive column appearance.

Although the invention has been described by making detailed reference to different embodiments, such detail is to be understood in any instructive, rather than in any restrictive sense, many variants being possible within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. A display assembly for furniture and home furnishings in a room having a ceiling, a floor and a column extending between the floor and ceiling, the improvements comprising:

(a) a plurality of substantially vertical walls, each wall having one end located adjacent to and intermediate the ends of an adjacent wall, and extending angularly outward from the said adjacent wall,

(b) the walls having first portions between said ends forming an enclosure about the column,

(c) each wall and a second portion of each adjacent wall, extending outwardly beyond said each wall, providing an outwardly facing corner, and

(d) means rotatively mounting the said first wall portions to the column to facilitate movement of the walls around the column to present the corners at different, selected positions about the periphery of the column.

2. A display assembly as defined in claim 1, in which:

(e) each wall includes a peripheral frame, each frame having means for receiving and holding a panel on each side of the wall.

3. A display assembly as defined in claim 1, in which:

(e) the rotative means includes a partition attached to the said first wall portions and located across the enclosure and about the column, and

(f) roller means operatively interconnecting the column and partition.

4. A display assembly as defined in claim 3, in which:

(f)[the roller means includes rollers carried by the partition and engaging the periphery of the column.

5. A display assembly as defined in claim 3, in which:

(if) the roller means includes rollers fixed to the column and engaging the partition about the periphery of the column.

6. A display assembly as defined in claim 3, in which:

(f) the roller means includes rollers carried by the partition and engaging the periphery of the column, and

(g) other roller means are fixed to the column and engage the underside of the partition about the column periphery to support the walls on the column and off of the floor.

7. A display assembly as defined in claim 6, in which:

(h) a retaining means includes a wedge selectively placed operatively between the column and the partition to preclude relative rotation, and thereby fix the walls in the selected positions.

8. A display assembly as defined in claim 1, in which:

(e) means retain the walls in a selected, rotated position with the corners facing outwardly at desired angular relation.

9. A display assembly as defined in claim 1, in which:

(e) a plurality of spotlights and floodlights are alternately arranged in substantially, regularly spaced relation about the enclosure periphery so that a spotlight and a floodlight are located between each adjacent pair of angularly related Walls to illuminate the associated corner when the walls are turned to different predetermined positions between the lights.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 253,757 2/1882 Pearce 108103 459,537 9/ 1891 Stickney.

933,500 9/1909 Towle 40-6 8 1,177,873 4/1916 Kraus 4068 1,213,026 1/1917 Sande 108103 2,231,478 2/1941 Pereira 35-53 2,756,527 7/1956 Mease 40l25 2,628,618 2/1953 Karper l29l6 3,233,346 2/1966 Cornberg 35'60 2,425,197 8/1947 Montague 3576 X EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner H. S. SKOGQUIST, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 40-68 

